Pump unit for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A pump unit for use in pumping and repairing car tires has a box-like jacket ( 1 ) in which is provided a socket ( 10 ) for fixing a bottle ( 8 ) with repair fluid and with a lid/adapter ( 4 ) known per se with a large and a small collar ( 5, 6 ). By the invention is provided securing of the adapter ( 4 ) and thereby of the bottle ( 8 ) by providing the socket with two resilient arms ( 16 ) that may grip with projections ( 17 ) around the large collar ( 5 ) behind existing edges ( 7 ), thus forming a spring catch for the adapter ( 4 ). Hence is provided secure holding of the adapter ( 4 ) and ready insertion and removal of the bottle ( 8 ) in a simple way.

This application claims the benefit of Danish Application No. BA 200200340 filed Oct. 31, 2004 and PCT/DK2003/000726 filed Oct. 28, 2003,which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a pump unit for vehicles designed with aside edge along which there is provided a socket for holding in positiona bottle containing a repair fluid and provided with a lid with adapterwith laterally projecting collar, where the socket is adapted forreceiving the collar by sideways insertion of the lid into the socket.

The known pump units for vehicles are typically designed as flat boxeswith rectangular shape and containing an air pump or compressor as wellas valves etc. On the box is made a cutout or similar that forms asocket for receiving the collar provided on the neck of the bottle withrepair fluid. The collar has to pipe stubs protruding in differentdirections laterally of the neck, and thereby projecting away from thepump unit. These stubs may be coupled to ends of hoses that are fastenedin the pump unit and which may conduct compressed air to the bottle andcompressed air mixed with repair fluid away from the bottle,respectively. The pump is used both for pumping tyres on vehicles thathave lost pressure and for repairing punctured tyres with the repairfluid in the bottle.

By displacing the bottle and thereby the collar into the cutout orsocket provided in the pump unit, the bottle is held temporarily duringuse, possibly permanently in case of permanent installation of the pumpunit in the vehicle. A drawback of the known pump units of this kindwith such sockets is that the bottle is not secured very well and is indanger of being jerked loose by jolts and vibrations during driving ofthe vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is solved by the peculiar feature that the socket includestwo resilient arms arranged to grip around the collar, as the arms areadapted to be displaced away from each other at the insertion of thebottle into the socket, and that the arms are adapted to engage thecollar with snap action when the bottle is in its final position.

Due to the snap action, the arms may now hold the bottle in position aslong as desired. Furthermore, the bottle may easily be removed from thesocket by just twisting it out of engagement of the arms. The arms maybe designed in several ways, e.g. with shape like leaf springs that arefastened at both ends in the pump unit, and which curve towards eachother between the ends. The arms may furthermore extend in parallel withthe collar in its direction of insertion, or they may extendperpendicularly to the collar.

However, it is preferred that the arms are secured in the socket bytheir first ends and are extending towards their second, free ends thatpoint largely opposite to the direction of insertion of the bottle intothe socket.

When the collar of the bottle does not have a round shape, but has twoprojections or edges that face opposite or laterally relative to thedirection of insertion, it is preferred that the arms at each free endare provided with notches that are shaped and disposed so as to engagecorresponding projections on the collar.

In order to achieve a cheap and simple design it is furthermorepreferred that the arms extend substantially along one side surface ofthe pump unit, and that the arms are moulded in one piece with thesocket.

THE DRAWING

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in more detailbelow with reference to the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a pump unit according to the invention in perspective view,

FIG. 2-4 shows the top of a bottle with repair fluid with an adapter/lidprovided with a collar as seen from the side of insertion, from the lefton FIG. 2 and from below, respectively,

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged detail of the socket of the pump unit as seenfrom above, and

FIG. 6 shows a section along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENTS

A pump unit according to the invention, e.g. for accessory for cars, asshown on FIG. 1 is shaped largely as a flat box 1 with a dial indicator2 and operating button 3. Except for the inventive features describedbelow, the arrangement and function of the unit are known per se.

A bottle 8 with repair fluid is provided with a special lid with adapter4 having a large collar 5 and a small collar 6 which is disposed inparallel with the large collar 5. The adapter 4 is known per se and haspreviously been used in prior art pump units that have a socket for theadapter 4 only consisting of a cutout in the side edge of the unit,where the collars 5 and 6 were able to get in and ‘grip’ around theplate material that constitutes the outer box-like jacket on the unit.However, the bottle is not secured and may fall out, e.g. by joltingoccurring during driving.

As the large collar 5 has two opposite and almost lateral projections 7,the latter are utilised for holding the adapter 4 and thereby the bottlewith repair fluid 8. In the adapter 4 is provided two stubs 9 for supplyand discharge of air and repair fluid.

Holding the adapter 4 with bottle 8 in correct position of use isachieved by shaping the socket 10 as shown on FIGS. 5 and 6. In normalposition of use of the pump unit, a largely plane, horizontal bottom 12extends from a vertical side edge 11 on the unit 1 to a lower, verticalrear wall 13 which, as shown on FIG. 5, has a curved shape. The rearwall 13 is limited upwards by a plane and almost semi-circular collar 14that extends towards the centre of the socket 10. The top side of thecollar 14 extends flatly towards an upper rear wall 15 that has the sameor approximately the same shape as the large collar 5, i.e. pointedshape. Along opposite sides at the rear wall 15, two resilient arms 16are formed, both extending against the side edge 11. At their extreme,free ends, the arms 16 have projections 17 facing each other anddisposed so that they may engage the collar 5 behind the projections 7.

During use, the adapter 4 with mounted bottle 8 is pushed laterally withthe pointed end 18 of the large collar 5 into the socket 10. Thereby,the arms 16 are pushed away from each other until the projections 17engage behind the projections 7 on the collar 5. Simultaneously, thesmall collar 6 goes in under the collar 14 of the socket, so that thebottle 8 cannot tilt out of engagement with the arms 16 and the socket10. In that way, a secure snap action is established for holding thebottle 8 in position, while at the same time facilitating removal thebottle 8 again, as the projections 17 are inclining also at their sidesfacing the rear wall 15.

1. Pump unit for vehicles designed with a side edge along which there isprovided a socket for holding in position a bottle containing a repairfluid and provided with a lid with laterally projecting collar, wherethe socket is adapted for receiving the collar by sideways insertion ofthe lid into the socket, characterized in that the socket includes tworesilient arms arranged to grin around the collar, as the arms areadapted to be displaced away from each other at the insertion of thebottle into the socket, and that the arms are adapted to engage thecollar with snap action when the bottle is in its final position,wherein the arms at each free end are provided with notches that areshaped and disposed so as to engage corresponding projections on thecollar.
 2. Pump unit according to claim 1, wherein the arms are securedin the socket by their first ends and are extending towards theirsecond, free ends that point largely opposite to the direction ofinsertion of the bottle into the socket.
 3. Pump unit according to claim1, wherein the arms extend substantially along one side surface of thepump unit and that the arms are moulded in one piece with the socket.